#coco going insane tag needed

[cocobirde]

I LOVE VIVA I LOVE VIVA I LOVE VIVA I LOVE VIVA I LOVE VIVA!!!!!!!!!!!

[prncssie]

Reader and Sukuna in a fitting room rating the compression shirts he picked out : p

hi anon my love this is long overdue BUT i said i would do it ik i lied once but sukuna is actually difficult for me boooo. i am not lying when i say i struggle with him specifically but characterization is soooo difficult it’s an entire process

anyway past the sob story onto the request! this is done with suburbia sukuna in mind. he has his own fully built universe that i hope to explore more :D feel free to ask about that!! okay request fr below the cut. mdni minors stay away or m calling your parents.

sukuna is supposedly off limits. it’s more of a unspoken rule than anything. if it wasn’t unspoken, you doubt you’d be the only one trying to get unscheduled one on one time with him. even if it was spoken though, there’s a big chance you’d still be seated here now, watching in faux boredom as sukuna pulls yet another shirt off his body.

you’re not supposed to be here. well, you are just not here. you’re supposed to be strolling the shops of the malls, in search of something fitting for nobara’s birthday, something as extravagant as she’d like. it’s just sheer coincidence that you ran into sukuna, at least that’s what you’d tell them.

it doesn’t really matter what megumi or nobara or even yuji thinks. neither of them knows what it feels like to have secret rendezvous with the untouchable. you’ve taken a bite of the forbidden fruit. it would be insane to ask you to put it down, now.

it’s one of your more tame interactions though, so at least you have something to stand on. granted, most of your cognitive function is focused on not gaping like a fish every time his muscles ripple and flex across his form.

“i don’t like that one. it makes you look like a whore.” it’s two short sentences but it’s all you can manage to maintain your little bit of sanity. it’s all the same when sukuna isn’t facing you. he couldn’t possibly read your expression when he’s too busy staring at his own in the mirror.

you can see him though. you can see him and the way his pink lips twitch in a half assed smile. the navy blue compression shirt goes right back in the hanger with the white tag dangling, taunting you of your actual quest. you can see the quirk in his eyebrow before he can utter a word.

“that’s my goal. can’t get more bitches under my belt without a little bait.” all sukuna has to do is cast you one of those over the shoulder glances to turn your insides into mush. he gives off the impression that he knows, with the way his tongue goes to swipe glossed saliva across the soft plains. “don’t it take one to know one?”

by the time your big brown eyes have rolled to the edges of your head and back again, sukuna has already crossed the space between you, tender hand resting on your skin, smoothened with coco butter lotion and vanilla scented body oil. his hand runs up your calf, reaching the edges of your denim skirt. if his all-knowing grin doesn’t tip you off, it would be the tightening of his fingertips around you.

if you were anywhere else, perhaps you would be more enticed to get lost in the inferno his touch leaves your nerves feeling but this is reality, and in reality, he’s snuck you into the dressing room just to show off his physique. it forces you, to instead of being spontaneous and going with the flow, to chide him in a mutter and plant your hands firmly on his chest.

“no. no, ‘kuna this is a bad idea. you don’t need me to tell you that.” your move to turn your cheek towards him does nothing to deter him. your lips weren’t his goal, anyway. rather, sukuna seems perfectly content attaching his lips to your neck to leave behind an array of bruises.

you feel more than you hear it, the rush of air past your ear when he scoffs. sukuna has made himself hovering in the spot between your legs, one knee bent and wedged sandal atop the bench. “oh, it’s a bad idea, is it? don’t want poor yuji findin’ out. what would he think? his good friend, his best friend, chumming it up with me, his dear old brother.” he leans away just enough for a breath of space between you. his pink hair brushes against your forehead as sukuna tilts his head. his eyes shine with mischief but his grip is all the same. “you never complain until it suits you. big fuckin’ baby.”

you’d like to think your efforts work, particularly when sukuna discards you and replaces the object of his attention for yet another shirt on the rack of possibilities. he’s already clicked his tongue and moved on from your conversation while you’re still attempting to defend your honor in a single breath. “just because i have ethics doesn’t make me a baby.” your foot meets the floor in a soft clunk! and you sort out the bunched up material of your skirt.

your words make him laugh, a sound vibrating through his chest and out his body. “ethics, huh? where were you ethics last week? ‘sukuna can you come over? the power went out and i can’t fix it. sukuna i’m so lonely. i’m so bored. i’m so—’ what djd you say? something about your parents not being home. i can’t quite remember.”

“oh my god, shut up.” hearing your own words, although in a much deeper timbre, stirs up an embarrassment so overwhelming, your hands fly to cover your face. “you make it sound like a bad porno.” you’re no stranger to the heat creeping up your neck and spreading that warmth throughout your cheeks.

“should’ve been. i don’t think you could fake that, though. which one do you think will get me the most bitches? blue or black?” sukuna phrases it like it’s some passing thought. it’s a casual conversation to him. your sexual endeavors are normalized and he speaks of it as you don’t have to sneak behind your mutuals.

“black.” the decision falls from your lips before you have time to contemplate it. it’s not an entire lie. it’s just . . . not the best option. he didn’t ask that, though. sukuna asked what would get him the most bitches. he didn’t ask for your exact, and quite personal, opinion. perhaps you were doing him a favor is steering him away from a blue so deep it made his eyes shine. “and hopefully now you’ll get enough attention and leave me alone.”

sukuna scoffs again and shakes his head. pink hair tosses atop his head and he looks back at you again, a familiar smile playing on his lips. “you’re the one that needs to leave me alone.”

[aquatark]

Okay! So! I'm breaking out the correct capitalization because this news is so insane! The Japanese website for Endless Ocean Luminous received a major update last night, and I want to walk through the biggest new info from it with you! This is gonna be really long, so please bare with me, there's just so much to cover...

Here's the link for people who want to check this themselves: https://www.nintendo.com/jp/switch/a7lka/index.html

The Veiled Sea is random, but not in the way you think

It has been officially confirmed that the Veiled Sea's terrain and creatures will change with each dive, and creatures will likely spawn in accordance to the nearby terrain. But don't panic!

After filling in 80% of an area's map, you will be given a map ID, which you can use to access that exact same map, either by yourself or with friend, whenever you like! Think of them like Minecraft world seeds. An example ID (which can likely be used upon release) is given in the photo above, accompanied by what looks like a photo of the one and only...! Maybe you can reliably encounter her on that map ID?

2. Salvages are back, baybee!!

In what looks to be a system similar to EO1 and the Everblue games, salvages of all sorts can be found under small glints on the ocean floor! The P earned from salvages immediately goes into your current amount once you've picked it up. According to the photo above, salvaging is "essential to unravelling the ocean's mysteries", and another photo states that you may even find traces of "ancient civilizations"...

3. A diving rank system has been revealed, along with fishy friends

As you discover new creatures and treasures, you will unlock all sorts of things, and your dive rank will increase! Higher dive ranks have access to more suit colors (which side note omg i'm loving the options), as well as larger creatures following you, and more creatures following at the same time! What does that mean? Well... you know EO1's friendship system, where if you're friendly enough to a fish, it'll follow you around? This seems to be returning, but reworked! The creatures that follow you depends on your dive rank: at a low rank, only small fish will follow you, but as your rank increases, you can have dolphins and even huge whales tag along with you!

4. Behold a whole new range of underwater environments

I already showed pictures of them in my previous post, so I won't here to save photo space, but to list a few, underwater magma flows, shipwrecks in the abyss, polar areas, freshwater caves, and active hydrothermal vent fields have all been shown off here!

5. Different missions will be available each dive

Not much elaboration is needed here, but each dive, you will be given special missions (such as seeking out a location or creature). We don't yet know what reward these will give us, but it's gotta be good, right?

6. A new method of identifying creatures

Creatures you have yet to identify will glow, and pressing the L button while near these creatures will unlock their information. Multiple creatures' info can be acquired this way at the same time, making for easy scanning of big groups! This info will then be available in the marine encyclopedia, which can be accessed at any time.

The encyclopedia will also record the creature's behavior, habits, and the largest/smallest sizes of it you have found.

7. Creature variants have been introduced

Though the site did not elaborate on this, it did showcase a picture of a creature labelled "variant".

This one is especially interesting, because though the scientific name here is accurate, the Japanese text below it reads... "Coco Maharaja", which is this EO2 legendary's Japanese name! Will we be able to encounter the exact legendary specimens from EO2 again in the Veiled Sea, or are these simply colored variants named after them? Either way, the creature variant system is going to be awesome, I can tell!

8. Photography is back, and better than ever!

Photos will be sent to the Nintendo Switch's album when taken. What purpose they will serve in the greater game has yet to be seen, but you can take photos with yourself in them!

9. Multiplayer and singleplayer options

I know some people were worried about multiplayer being the only mode, but this is not the case! Players can dive either solo, or with a group over the internet with the "Dive Together" option. When diving together, up to 10 random players can play... or, when diving with friends, up to 30 people can!

Additional multiplayer reveals include the ability to use tons of emotes to communicate, adding emojis to creatures or treasures you find which can be seen on the map for others to check out (the Cacao Maharaja photo showcases a bunch of these emojis), being able to teleport to any player in your current dive, and more!

10. A new mythical creature...?

The array of photos shown of new creature models is absolutely astounding... but one in particular that caught my eye is the set of new prehistoric creatures!

One of these things is not like the others though... what could "Raja Emas" be...? Can prehistoric creatures be mythical too?

This update has made me more hyped than ever for this game! I'd be curious to hear your thoughts too~ :>

[transfemdentruther]

And for my first trick: let's live up to the username lol

I need to rewatch Sunny in depth to really make a crazy post, but for now we get half-remembered gibberish from yours truly ;D

First off the top is Mac's Banging the Waitress. What do you mean his jeans are tight as shit because he wants to accentuate his "female form"? Why is that something he was thinking about? Why specifically does he want to achieve a more feminine form? I will never not think about that line, what the hell. Insane

This one's just kinda silly, but it's on my mind 'cause I've been lurking through a couple Sunny fan accounts looking specifically for trans Den takes lmao. The escape room episode where Dennis says something about cows grazing relating to them and Mac's like "Aren't all cows female?" and Dennis stutters and says that it's a metaphor. I think the poster said in the tags "LMAO HE CAUGHT HER" and it's my favourite lol

I think it was from the self help book or whatever, but when he's going on about Coco Chanel and how "boys can't be fabulous too just because of this sad piece of flesh hanging between my legs?" It's not inherently the fact he wants to be fabulous, it's that the way he describes it as a sad piece of flesh that just hangs there. I don't really know cis men's thoughts on their dicks, but I'm sure they don't view it that negatively... It's just interesting phrasing

The whole makeup thing. Is it gay for men to wear makeup? No. Does it make them trans? No. But Dennis? That's a whole other story that the words are very fleeting for, so we're just gonna leave at that for now sorry lol

In the bowling episode when he's being a bitch to Dee and he's saying something like "Women are devious, destructive, and default to turning on each other" as if that's not what he does lol

This is a whole other post, but I think gender envy is a part of sleeping with women, aside from the trauma of course. I personally don't think he's actually attracted to women even though he's constantly going on about big tits and all that. I don't have a big vocabulary right now as my brain almost never works and it is 2am, but in The Gang Gets Analyzed when he draws the therapist, I just think it's funny that he specifically drew himself behind her holding her massive tits. Like it's not actually anything obviously, but it something I will point at Pepe Silvia style lmao

The Aluminum Monster vs. Fatty Magoo. Need I say more? Kidding, I can't not yap about it lol. "I need a model with the perfect female body hmmm" -employs himself with YOU GUESSED IT giant tits- Certainly... interesting. Also this bitch has at Least three different shades of red lipstick and I know he's not stealing them from Dee because I think she's only ever worn one, maybe two, kinds of red lipstick and that's only very occasionally. So. There's that

All the comments about him and drag and then that one thing Mac said about him being into all that "glam rock femme shit" I Just Think It's Interesting

Okay, that's all for now. I don't wanna proofread any of this, so feel free to ask for clarification or if you just wanna come yell at me lol

[panzershrike-pretz]

GET TO KNOW ME!

-> thank you so much @land-sh and @malarkgirlypop for tagging me on this one!! Love you guys!

• Three Ships: Blithe Emarkey by @malarkgirlypop, Birdiegott by @next-autopsy and Jeremy/Sirius/Michael by me because I am currently going very much insane xD

• First Ship: In the BoB Fandom it had to be Winnix, but if we're talking about all time first? Emmett/Rosalie from The Twilight Saga. Fight me

• Last Song: currently listening to The Devil's Reach by The Jolly Rogers!

• Currently Reading: Made of Glass by @next-autopsy and MEDIC! by @malarkgirlypop! Go check them out now!!

• Currently Watching: 90 day fiancée, extreme cheapstakes and hoarders! Because I need it to survive. Mostly

• Currently Consuming: Coffee :]

• Currently Craving: beach, wind, lemonade- all that together

• Current Obssession: Starkid's Hatchetfield Trilogy but like. ESPECIALLY the Nerdy Prudes Must Die,, (sorry @malarkgirlypop >:] ). Besides that, my own OCs and also other people's OCs because I love themmmmmm

• Currently Up To: complain mostly 🤡🤙 but also writing because I got ideas and catching up on the 300 messages I got from my stupid ass friend group irl- because they don't have shit to do besides talking from 1:30 to 3:00 am, kill me?? Or kill them tbh, tf is wrong with those fellas

• Tags! (no pressure and sorry if you're already tagged!): @next-autopsy @georgieluz @footprintsinthesxnd @sweetxvanixlla @xxluckystrike @luckynumber4 @thewayisset @1waveshortofashipwreck @whollyjoly @holdingforgeneralhugs @iceman-kazansky @onlyyouexisthere @coco-bean-1218 @bucky32557038ww2 @samwinchesterslostshoe

[grimmweepers]

ryu!! first if all — i’m so sorry for being insane and all up in your notifs like this waaah but i Need to know the ryuhaitham story from when you crossed paths as children?! 🥺 i am so intrigued! ♥︎ how did you bring it up later in life, was it after you two got together?

coco!!! ♡ do not apologise at all my dear. i will be lying if i said i havent lurked your haico tag as well wink wink

i love you both. you guys are so beautiful and sweet together 😭also idk if tumblr ate my ask but i sent a question about haico. if it didn’t, IGNORE THIS AND TAKE UR TIME. AND IF U DONT WANT TO ANSWER, THATS OKAY TOO ♡

sorry it took a moment to get to this, i just got home from work and really wanted a proper sit down to write it out. thank you for so much for asking, i really do appreciate it sm!!

ryuhaitham lore under the cut 🙂‍↕️

we were really young when we first crossed paths. we were in the heart of sumeru city, spending a day roaming around the bazaar. i, not a local, was just visiting with my family and i was clinging to my mother’s hand while she browsed the stalls. alhaitham happened to be nearby with his grandmother, and it seemed like just another ordinary day. when my mother left me to pick some fruit, i stayed where i was, obedient like she asked. that’s when i saw— or rather, heard— some commotion. a bunch of kids goofing off, being a little too loud, and catching some disapproving glances from the adults passing by. i mostly ignored them at first, but then i noticed this boy with grey hair, who looked close to my age, standing off to the side. he looked stressed, covering his ears like the noise was too much for him

his book slipped out of his hands, and you could just tell he was trying to block out everything around him. it kind of reminded me of my own situation. maybe someone told him to stay put while they shopped too. i didn’t really think about it much at the time, but i went up to the group of kids and politely asked them to keep it down, pointing to alhaitham and the adults watching. surprisingly, they actually listened and moved away. i picked up his fallen book, handed it back to him, and said, “here you go!” he mumbled a quick “thanks,” and that was that. i walked away and never really thought about that moment again

fast forward years later, and we’re together, just lounging on our day off, chatting about random stuff. out of nowhere, i bring up this old memory, completely unaware he was part of it. like i was just telling it as if it was some throwaway story. then he suddenly says, “wait, that happened to me?”

he asks, “was it at the grand bazaar?”

“yeah…?” i say, trying to remember.

“was it near a fruit stand?”

“i think so. my mother was buying zaytun peaches.”

“my grandmother was holding harra fruits when she returned.”

we both just stare at each other, silently. i’m the first to break, freaking out, head in hands, like, omg, are you serious?????!!!!!

he’s super amused by it, though. even though it was a forgotten memory, he appreciated the gesture back then. so with a sneaky little grin, he goes, “so, you were watching me from afar and couldn’t even remember my face? i’m a little offended.”

and honestly that’s it! we giggle about it and i make jokes about how we were meant to be and he jokingly tells me to stop being silly (he believes me)

[starchild--27]

Tag Game ✨️

thank you for tagging me @joon-rkive - i loved reading yours and i always enjoy doing these~ 😊💕

i tag: @heartcravings @kafkascupcake @cxsmicmyeon @byuns-coco @xiu-bee @ladyliliah - only if you guys want to of course ♡

What book are you currently reading?

She and Her Cat by Makoto Shinkai ♡

What’s your favorite movie you saw in theaters this year?

Everything Everywhere All At Once, like 10000%. this movie is so good. everyone go watch it if you can. 💫

What do you usually wear?

a t-shirt (plus a hoodie/flannel shirt if it's cold), a pair of jeans (two if it's cold), a pair of socks (two if it's cold), chucks (or boots if it's cold)

How tall are you?

~ 178cm / 5'10 but i'm slouching horribly xD

What’s your Star Sign? Do you share a birthday with a celebrity or a historical event?

i am a Taurus (or so the birth chart says, i don't really see it tbh), aaaand my birthday is on Beltane, the Gaelic May Day festival. Or if we want to be political, Labour Day.

Do you go by your name or a nick-name?

irl usually by my name, only online people and sometimes my mom call me by my childhood nickname (which i find really cute btw ^^). and my sister has her own set of nicknames for me xDD

Did you grow up to become what you wanted to be when you were a child?

i think to some extent i am the person all my younger selves wanted to be xD but career-wise not all. my childhood dream was to be a writer, only at 14 or 15 i started to think about my current course of study and also quickly dismissed the idea again back then xD

Are you in a relationship? If not, who is your crush if you have one?

i'm not. and currently i have no real permanent crushes either, only the quick kind where i spend twenty minutes imagining a relationship with a stranger i've seen for like 3 seconds xD (but yeah speaking in terms of kpop, i have an everlasting crush on park chanyeol, today especially the one from the photoshoot that was teased today, and i have had it bad for han jisung from stray kids the past months too xD)

What’s something you’re good at vs. something you’re bad at?

i'm good at.......language stuff (idk why this came to mind first but i have crap self-confidence so i can't really think about anything else); i'm bad at...i guess, being organized, keeping routines and getting things done efficiently, stuff like that. 😬

Dogs or cats?

both :c (but gun to my head, i'd say cat. because i have a cat.)

If you draw/write, or create in any way, what’s your favorite picture/favorite line/favorite etc. from something you created this year?

choking on brown sugar and sweetened milk / wrapped in a flannel shirt cause i hate silk / need a neurosurgeon to cut out my brain / need to take a deep breath, i'm not going insane (which, yes, technically is a verse. the first verse of my song brown sugar actually, and i really love how it turned out)

What’s something you would like to create content for?

ohh i think The Case Study of Vanitas, which is my favourite manga series (no i haven't seen the anime (yet?)), i really want to write a fanfic about Vanitas and Noé because no wayyy they don't kiss at night xDD

What’s something you’re currently obsessed with?

always obsessed with exo xD then again, i think Ocean Vuong still has a hard grip on me right now. i recently finished reading On Earth We Are Briefly Gorgeous and i am reading his poems every now and then and boy... i think that guy himself invented language

What’s something you were excited about that turned out to be disappointing this year?

mmh... i think the fact my two bestied from school and i planned to meet at least twice and it never worked out - i met them separately, but i miss hanging out with my two favourite crackheads :/ (we'll probably meet over the last days of december tho, so...soon)

What’s a hidden talent of yours?

i dunno, it's not really "hidden" but i've baffled people with is before: i'm really fast at recognizing songs, probably because i know many songs that i don't particularly like listening to as well, i guess i just can memorize sounds quite well.

Are you religious?

i am agnostic, so i'm not strictly religious, i have always been really interested in religion tho. like as a kid i went to religion classes voluntarily despite noone in my family is religious.

What’s something you wish to have at this moment?

a different brain hahahah :') jkjk i guess what i (quite childishly) wish for most is everything to be alright again, life to be less shit, generally. that's probably a crap answer but the most honest one i can give right now.

[nintendouniverse2023]

My Crash Bandicoot AU idea

Should I make my own Crash Bandicoot AU? I mean, I been playing the game lately and yet I did play the Crash games N Trlogy and It's about time. I was thinking of making it my version of the timeline of the cancelled series, that involves of the games "Crash Bandicoot 1, 2 and 3 for Season 1, Team Racing and Wrath of Cortex for Season 2, Twinsanity as a movie, Racing Tag Team for Season 3 and the rest of new adventures and making new friends and villain's"

(Main Heroes)

The Bandicoots were in Cortex's castle who were mutated and sufferer cruelty along with the other Hybirds or Already Mutated animals, Before they all escape somewhere in Wumpa Island. Here we have their ages are different, Crash and Tawana were both 17 years old and Coco was 14 years old. The Bandicoots will have their redesings mixed into something familiar and new plus: *They have tails*

Aku Aku: A Magical Protector Mask who once found Crash at the Beach to aim for a quest to save both Girlfriend and Sister. After Cortex was first defeated, He along with Tawna helped Crash out on getting his mind back on his feet, when their not on adventures.

Crash Bandicoot (5.7 ft): Crash was origanlly going to be the genrale for Cortex's mutant army but scene Cortex rushlly puts him into the not ready Cortext vortext, This completely scrambled his brain and makes a rushing escape. Once after Cortext was first defeated, He gets himself checked out to remeber the good times he had with his Girlfriend and Family before being Mutated and Lost his memory from that machine. Now goes on crazy adventures stopping his nemesis from trying to take over the universe.

Coco Bandicoot (5.3 ft): Coco didn't do much after being mutated, except learning about her mutated life and facing experience of painful experiments. She and the other caged mutants manage to escape, Coco was forced to survive into the Wumpa Island on her own until Crash founds her. Coco have to go to therapy because her experience of being a lab rat traumatized her by the hands of Cortex. Now a days once recovered and finished Therapy She got into Gaming and Being a Tech Genius for big bros adventures.

Tawna Bandicoot (6.4 ft): Before Mutation, Tawana and Crash were already dating at this time. After Mutated alongside Crash and Coco, They shared a romantically. She and Coco were left to being toutred by the expereince as Cortext was using her to take his place before helping Coco and other mutants to escape. After defeating Cortex for the first time she stays with Crash and began with her new life, and her new mutated self, training herself for their adventure starting with Wrapped.

(Dr Neo Cortex in his main tagonis that was working undercovery by Uka Uka, completely childish and Mentally Insane for world domination for Mutants and Crystals alongside N Brio and N Gin. "Pinstripe" was the second Mutant was created who was only into the Mafia *In my AU, he is not into Tawana* But yet needed a few Mutant men to do his dirty work. Cortex's main team was selected while the other Main Mutant Rejects were placed into their cage's until ether knottiest)

Cortex's Main Mutant Team: Ripper Roo, Koala Kong, Tiny Tiger, Komodo Bros and Dingodile

What are your guys thoughts in the comment below.

[ofstoriesandstardust]

chapter 3.5 - what used to be (lt. bradley “rooster” bradshaw)

a/n: surprise!! this was not what anyone was expecting but young Bradley and Sunshine deserve their moment. 

summary: The night that changed everything and what happened next. 

main masterlist | top gun: maverick masterlist | flight risk masterlist | chapter 3 - heartache and heartbreak | chapter 4 - past mistakes

folks who wanted to be tagged: @justanothermagicalsara​ @fangirl-316​ @herladyshipxx​ @callsignvalley​ @parker-natasha​ @myhomeworksnotdone​ @pulisvertz​ @lass-that-is-gone​ @frenchtoastix​ @coco-loco-nut​ @pansexualwitchwhoneedstherapy​ @torresbarnes​ @supernaturaldawning​ @you-had-me-at-dead-welsh-kings​ @katiemcrae​ @gretagerwigsmuse​ @the-winter-marvel33​ @some-lovely-day​ @unordinare​ @hotch-meeeeeuppppp​ @annedub​ @hope-love-equality2​ @coyotesmachado​ @hopefulinlove​ @mak-32​ @daisyhollyxox​ @loveforaugust​ @sarcasm-n-insomnia​ @earth-to-lottie​

warnings: alcohol, antibiotics, swearing, insecurities, wisdom tooth infections, mention of wisdom tooth removal, Sunshine is having a “this is me trying” moment, so basically bradley’s always been in love with her and he’s just stupid

word count: 3,063

Stumbling out of the house, you ignore the bite of the chilly October air. You pull yourself down to sit on the top step of the stars, blinking back the tears stinging your eyes. The house behind you echoes with music and chatter, the night ringing with laughter. Sighing, you rub your hands together, bitterly wishing you’d brought your jacket. You wince, feeling your jaw protest as you clench it again, trying to keep the tears from hitting you. You immediately let it go, trying to take a deep breath to calm your fried nerves. 

You really should just cut your losses and go home. 

Taking a shaky breath, you mean to stand up, to head out to your car and get out of there when you hear the unmistakable noise of the piano begin. 

You weren’t even really sure how Tommy and his girlfriend (Ellie? Ella? Elle? Eden?) had wound up with a piano, something about one of their parents gifting it to them, but there was Bradley’s voice, clear against the night, the drunken laughter and shouting your friends following his tune. 

You could maybe place the song from the ‘80′s (or was it the ‘90′s?) but the cheeriness did little to alleviate what you were feeling. Distantly, the music began to feel muted as you pulled your knees up against your chest, your head falling on to them. 

The first tear escapes, and then the second, trailing down your cheeks in a path of salty warmth. It’s only a few moments later that the first sob escapes you and your shoulders heave as you try to keep it quiet. The last thing you needed was for someone to overhear and come out to the porch. 

Like that would happen; they hadn’t even noticed you were gone. 

The house erupts in cheers, a chant following Bradley’s dramatic finish to his song, making you choke on yet another sob. 

How could a kid who wasn’t even really part of this group, didn’t even live here anymore, waltz in and charm everyone in the room? 

Suddenly you felt inadequate, second-guessing your place with these people, if they had really been your friends in the first place. You wouldn’t blame them for wanting him here over you, the charming kid with the dazzling smile and the piano skills and insane intelligence you could only ever hope to match. With dreams and aspirations as wide as the whole world, yours felt small standing next to him. 

Maybe you’d been too much the first few times you’d met him, dying for the chance to hang out with the kid who seemed to let his burdens weigh heavy on his soul but still had an infectious laughter. But you’d toned down the looking at him with stars in your eyes, had been toning it down for the last year. 

Still, you shouldn’t have come tonight. You hadn’t even known he’d be in town, would be here, had thought that a small get together with these people you hadn’t seen in months, would cure your soul of the wearing loneliness and the pain of the physical ailments plaguing you at the moment. You hadn’t expected to walk in, hear his laughter, see him regaling them with a story from his time at basic. It should’ve been your sign to walk away before things could worse. 

It was difficult to put up the usual sunny front you led with, and he had frowned only a few moments after seeing you, sans usual smile and happy-go-lucky personality that had for so long defined you as a person. 

It had seemed like he hadn’t even wanted you there, tossing glances your way every couple of minutes as you sat back and watched your friends get drunker, taking a place at the sidelines for the night. It was all you could muster but the continuous sidelong glances from him stung. You thought the two of you had long moved past those, it turns out you were wrong. 

The door opened you behind you and your head shot up as you sniffled. There were a few footsteps that paused behind you. You glanced up to see the last person you’d wanted to at that moment. Your cheeks went red as you sniffed again, reaching up to wipe away some of the tears from your face. They were mostly dry at this point, making the movement kind of useless. 

“Ducking out early?” You ask, throat scratchy from crying and you wince at it. He raises an eyebrow at you and avoids the question. 

“You shouldn’t be out here without a jacket. it’s like 40 out, you’ll freeze.” You shrug. 

“Forgot it.” 

He sighs, shifting and you watch him take his jacket off, placing it over your shoulders. You protest but he waves you off, settling down next you on the step. “You okay?” He asks, looking at you carefully with something you could almost mistake for concern. 

You wouldn’t make that mistake though, because you know he doesn’t see you like that. Not even as a friend. 

“You don’t have to do the noble thing and stay just because of I’m crying.” 

“It’s not doing the noble thing, it’s doing the right thing. We’re friends.” 

You look at him. “We’re friends?” 

He scoffs. “Of course we’re friends.” 

You swallow, looking away from him as blood rushes to your cheeks. “Didn’t think you thought of me like that.” 

He rolls his eyes, shifting to lean on the back of his hands. “C’mon, out with it Sunshine, what’s up?” 

You sigh, wrapping the jacket around you tighter. “I don’t- It’s nothing.”

He eyes you for a long, quiet moment. “It’s not nothing. C’mon, you can talk to me.” 

You groan, reaching up to rub your temple. “It’s stupid.” You mumble, wondering how you were going to explain to him that you were crying because you were overwhelmed. 

“It’s not stupid.” 

“Yes, it is.” 

“Fine, if you don’t want to talk about it, I won't push. How’s senior year?” 

“Shit.” You grumble, before you can stop yourself. 

“Yeah?” 

“Capstone is kicking my ass, I work like 30 hours a week, it’s just all-” You stop, feeling the tears climb up your throat again. “It’s all just shit.” 

“Not going how you wanted it to, huh?” 

“Not in the slightest.” 

He waits for you to say more, but when you don’t, he sighs, shifting to lean on his knees. “Hey, is your jaw okay? You’ve been holding your face anytime you eat or drink anything tonight.”

You huff out a laugh, embarrassed he’d caught on to that. “Oh, you saw that? Yeah, I have what I’m pretty sure is a wisdom tooth infection.”

“You still have those suckers? I got mine out when I was like 15. Think my godfather still has the video of me knocked on my ass by the drugs, just spewing pure nonsense.” He says, chucking and you laugh alongside him. 

“Yeah, they needed to come out years ago but this is what happens when you have bitterly divorced parents who can’t agree on which child should get what little money they have.” 

“So, are you getting them out now?”

“Yeah, I’ll probably have to. Have to go across town to get them looked at and hopefully get prescribed antibiotics.”

“Why the hell are you going across town? There’s one across the street from my old dorm building. And doesn’t UVA have a dental program they see students in?” 

“Only place that accepts my parent’s shitty health insurance. And yeah, but they’ll only see you for routine cleanings and x-rays. This requires a real dentist who can prescribe me antibiotics. Trust me, I called because I can not afford the visit on Monday or the removal. Just add it to the list of things I’m in debt for and in pain over.” 

“What do you mean?”

You glance at him, shaking your head. “I’ve got a host of health issues that’ve been going on for a while but I’m already in so much debt for school and my parent’s have shit healthcare and refuse to help me out. They told me I was on my own, so I just... ignore it. Can’t do anything else, really.” 

“That can’t be healthy.” 

“Probably not. But these are the joys of being poor.” 

He shrugs, looking like he’s at a loss. “I can’t... can’t imagine what that was like. What that is like.” He sighs, rubbing his hands together. “I guess I can’t talk, growing up in a military family, where we had...” He trails off and you cock your head. 

“Where we had what?” You prompt, confused as to where he had disappeared to. He startles. 

“Let’s get married.” 

There’s a long pause as you stare at him. “I take back every nice thing I’ve ever said about you Bradshaw because that is the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard come out of your mouth.”

He smirks at you. “Talk about me when I’m not around, eh?” 

You push his head down as he laughs in your attempt to hide the blush fighting it’s way up your neck. “Shut up.” You mumble, which only makes him laugh harder. Watching his shoulders shake with laughter, you can’t help the small laugh that escapes you, the smile splitting across your face. “Well, if that was your plan to get me to laugh and cheer up, mission accomplished.” 

He chuckles, shaking his head. “No- I mean, I’m glad it did, but no that wasn’t the goal. I’m serious.” 

“You’ve lost your mind Bradshaw. Left it back at basic somewhere.”

He nudges your shoulder. “C’mon, think about it. Military spouses get crazy good health benefits. It’d be enough to help you get some of those things looked at, get your wisdom teeth removed. There’s, like, tax breaks and stuff. Could maybe help with the student loan debt.” 

You nod slowly. “Okay... there’s just one small problem. We’re not in love.” The words feel bitter on your tongue as you try to play it off, ignoring the twist in your heart.

He shrugs. “The Navy doesn’t need to know that.” 

“And what are we gonna do about those fuckers in there?” You say, nodding your head to the front door behind you. 

“We’ll tell them that we’ve been madly in love for months and have decided to elope as soon as possible.” 

You roll your eyes. “Yeah, they’ll buy that.” 

“You got a better idea?” 

Ignoring the question, you decide to throw a different one back at him. “What are we going to tell our parents?” 

He shifts uncomfortably. “The only set of parents we’ll have to worry about are yours.”

You eye him as he now refuses to meet your gaze. “Bradley-” 

“Let me do this for you Sunshine. Let me help.”

You sigh, standing up from the step. “We’ll talk in the morning when you’re sober Bradshaw.” 

You chuck the jacket at him as you walk across the lawn towards your car. “I am sober Sunshine!” 

You pause as you reach the street, a ghost of a smile on your face. “See you in the morning Bradshaw.”

He smiles back at you. “Goodnight Sunshine.”

-

You reach out to ring the doorbell, feeling Bradley’s warm hand press against the small of your back, even through your coat. Your heart flutters at the movement as the front door swings open. 

“Eli!” You shout, greeted by the face of Bradley’s best friend. His grin is wide as he steps out on to the porch to give you a hug. He pulls you tight as Eli’s sister appears over his shoulder, stepping out to give Bradley a hug. He lets you go and the two of you switch, you going to Eli’s sister and him to Bradley. They usher the two of you in the house as you look around. You hadn’t been here since Eli moved. 

“I gotta admit that when Bradley called me, I wasn’t expecting this news.” Eli says, shutting the door behind him. Bradley steps behind you, putting his hands on your shoulder. 

“What can I say Eli, the perfect girl was in front of me all along.” Eli’s sister coos as you feel your cheeks warm, glancing up at Bradley. He smiles down at you as Eli shakes his head, chuckling. 

“Cheesy you’ve always been Bradshaw. C’mon, everyone’s in the kitchen.” He leads you through the hallway, Bradley’s hands not leaving your shoulders. You appear in the kitchen, a cheer going up at the sight of the two of you. You laugh, being pulled into a hug by your friend Bailey. 

“Okay, the two of you. We’re starting this night off right by doing shots.” You laugh as Bailey lets you go, Tommy pouring two tequila shots and handing them to you both. 

Bradley glances at you. “You’re done with your antibiotics right?” You nod. 

“Took my last dose yesterday morning, why?” 

“You’re not supposed to drink on antibiotics.” He says, tossing back the liquid and you mirror his movement, face going red again, not just from the warmth of the alcohol. You groan, making a face as you wipe your mouth. 

“Fucking hate tequila.” 

Eli laughs. “Well, you’re gonna have to get used to it, because the goal of tonight is to get the two of you trashed. Only proper way to celebrate the two of you getting married.” 

Tommy’s girlfriend (Ella is her name, you’ve confirmed) laughs as Eli bustles off to pull more alcohol from the fridge. “How was that process, by the way?” 

Bradley shrugs. “Surprisingly simple. You just need valid ID and forms of payment. Can do the marriage license and court paperwork all in the same day, so long as you’re there before closing.” She nods as Bailey slides you a can of beer from the fridge. 

“Always baffles me that states vary so widely in their marriage and divorce laws.” 

You nod as you laugh, raising your drink in acknowledgment and agreement of her statement. “Can confirm, family court in my home state is hell. I think my parents are still fighting.” 

“Still?” Bailey asks, eyes going wide.

Eli moves in between the conversation, setting more shot glasses on the counter. “Okay, okay, that’s enough legal talk. You two have not had nearly enough alcohol. Shut up and take another shot.” 

-

He shuts the backdoor behind him quietly as the Star Wars debate (yes Eli, Revenge of the Sith is the best and yes it does have everything to do with how hot Hayden Christensen is, Sunshine had argued) dissolves into drunken laughter, Sunshine’s giggles making him smile as he glances back at her. She’s got her head on Bailey’s shoulder, still laughing, as the group re-focuses on the Mario Kart game that had long since been abandoned. Taking a sip from his beer bottle, he steps further away from the glass door, looking out at the night sky. 

He sighs, thinking about the red eye he has to catch tomorrow night back to his base. He’s going back with absolutely unexpected news, and he wonders how long it will take for the news to get back to Uncle Ice. To Maverick, because he’s no fool to think that the man doesn't have some kind of tabs on him. Slider might even find out, if Ice cares enough to tell him. 

He wonders if his parents would be disappointed in him, taking advantage of the Navy like this. He wonders if his Dad would angry for breaking this rule, this law, even when he knows in his heart he’s doing the right thing. 

He’s never seen you so happy, so carefree, so much like a weight has been lifted, and that’s saying something, knowing exactly how you earned your nickname as Sunshine. 

The door clicks shut behind him and he turns to see you, walking towards him. He smiles at you as you pull your jacket on, two Diet Cokes in hand. 

“I don’t know how you can drink that crap, worse than the alcohol Eli was feeding us earlier.” You roll your eyes, handing him the drink as the two of you sit down at the picnic table in Eli’s rather nice backyard. 

“Eli’s done well for himself since graduating it seems.” You comment, sticking your hands in your pockets. He nods, popping up the can of soda, a nice change of pace to the alcohol the two of you had been drinking all night. 

“Yeah, I agree. Kinda wish he’d send some of that my way.”

You scoff, giving him an incredulous look. “You’ve done amazing for yourself since graduating Bradley, don’t give me that shit.”

He shrugs, shifting in the chair. “You think? I don’t know-” 

“Bradley, you have dreams so big I don’t think the world is ready for them. Think it’s why you’re chasing them up in the sky, not enough room on the ground for all of them.” 

He huffs out a laugh at that. “Thank you.” He says quietly, taking another sip of his drink, feeling his chest tighten at the words. 

“I hope you get every single one of them.” 

He glances at you, taking in your rosy cheeks, the lopsided grin on your face. Still, he returns the smile. “You’re drunk.” 

You let out a little laugh. “Maybe just a little.” There’s a pause as he looks at you, watching the way the moonlight dances across your skin. You look back up at him. “What?” 

He shakes his head. “Nothing, just thinking about how much I’m gonna have to call you every week to make this believable.” 

“Every day, Bradshaw. I expect a call every day.” 

He laughs outright at the drunken comment and you laugh alongside him. “Well, guess I’ll have to stay alive long enough to be back here for my wife’s graduation huh?” 

You point a finger at him as you take another sip of your drink. “You’d better Bradshaw. Gonna have to introduce you to my parents.” 

“Oh, so not looking forward to that.” 

You chuckle, shaking your head. “”M gonna miss you Bradley.”

He smiles softly at you, resisting the urge to reach out and move the hair that’s fallen in front of your face. You’re currently trying to blow it out of your face and it’s very much not working. 

“Gonna miss you too Sunshine.” 

[darklydeliciousdesires]

From Blood, Love and Courage - Chapter Fifteen.

A huge thank you to the little following of very lovely people this story has gained! You are such kind people :) As usual, 25 notes are needed to unlock the next chapter! 

Previous chapters - One  Two  Three  Four  Five  Six  Seven  Eight  Nine  Ten  Eleven  Twelve  Thirteen  Fourteen

Words - 4,231

Tag list - In the comments, please message to be added/removed

Warnings - 18+ content throughout, minors DNI!

“Don’t touch the bird, he’s spicy,” Taza spoke, entering the office to find a man waiting about to reach for Charlie, pulling his hand away quickly. “C’mon, badass. Mama will be back in a minute.” He tapped his shoulder, Charlie hopping on.  

“Glasses!”

“Don’t you do it!” Taza warned, pointing a finger. Charlie had a habit of chewing the arms, or stealing them from off his face altogether. “Okay, how can I help?”  

“Got these from the weighbridge.” Handing over the slips of paper, Taza took them, entering the weights and metals, adding up what they were prepared to pay for each haul against current market values per tonne. The entire way through the transaction, he had to fend Charlie off from repeatedly making a dive for his sunglasses, taking off one of his rings in the end and giving it to him to play with, the guy on the other side of the counter very entertained by it. 

“Oh man, in light of the news about that poor kid hanging himself off the bridge, that’s made me laugh so much. He's awesome,” he chuckled, Charlie inspecting the silver ring in his grasp, muttering to himself. “Is he yours?”

“No, he belongs to the lovely young lady behind you.” He offered the cash across the counter, the man leaving just as Lily was re-entering, carrying with her coffees in one hand and a box of doughnuts in the other. “Did you go out and get those by yourself?” he asked, his face lighting up with pride.  

“I did, but I panicked so much on the way, I threw up in a trash can.” The local mini mart was only the three block walk away, but still, it was huge for Lily to have even thought about venturing out to it alone, Taza telling her as much. “Little steps, and no rushing, or the watch won’t tick.” she confirmed, opening the box up.  

He winked, taking a coffee and a doughnut, Charlie hopping from his shoulder to hers. “That’s the spirit, kid.” Taking his ring back from the insane bird he was very fond of, he left her to it, Lily entering the sale he’d just made and also putting down a few purchase invoices that had come through on email, enjoying her jelly doughnut while she did, Coco and Hank coming in to grab theirs after a few minutes.  

“Good morning, Feathers McEvil,” Hank said, nodding at Charlie and raising his coffee cup.  

“Fuck you.” It was the exact reaction he was expecting, being on Charlie’s blacklist. As were Gilly, EZ and Riz. Coco, on the other hand, he was good with, the man himself scratching his feathers, Charlie ambling onto his arm, Coco turning back to the door as he heard a bike pulling in. “Yo, I didn’t think your ole’ man was in until later?”

“He isn’t, why?” Lily asked, only half concentrating as she tapped on the computer.

“He just pulled up.”  

“Bro time!” Charlie announced, whistling happily, hissing at Hank when he took a wide berth to leave the office again. He was off Coco’s shoulder and onto Angel’s in a second, nuzzling his head under his chin and beginning to groom his beard, making little noises of delight.  

“You okay, man?” Coco asked, noticing Angel frowning.  

“I dunno. Can you give me and Lily a few minutes?”

He nodded, patting his arm and leaving, Angel closing the door behind him.  

“Hey honey, I didn’t expect you in this early?” Lily spoke as he walked towards the counter, placing Charlie back on his perch on the way and taking a seat beside her.  

“Yeah, I didn’t expect to be either. Look, there’s something I need to talk about you with,” he began, Lily turning to him with concern.

“What is it? You’ve gone a little pale.” She stroked his hair lovingly, leaning forward to kiss his cheek, her hands resting on his thighs.  

He pulled his phone out, unlocking the screen. “I was reading about that kid who offed himself this morning, and ended up reading his suicide note,” he began.

She couldn’t help but interrupt. “That’s a little macabre, isn’t it?”

“True, guilty as charged, I guess. But, in me being curious, I discovered something in that suicide note. A confession he made, one of guilt, about...” He paused for breath, taking her hand and squeezing it. “About being paid to beat and rape an innocent woman.”  

Something cold and spiny licked her insides as his words penetrated, Lily feeling her heart begin to escalate. She nodded, pressing her lips together, closing her eyes and counting her breathing. In for six, out for six. It helped her when she felt like her lungs were closing out of panic. It had assisted earlier, when she’d been bent over the trash can, hurling up her eggs on toast. “Okay, and what, you want me to see if I recognise him? That’ll be tricky, since he was masked.”

“You said the guy who was reluctant spoke, about you choking on the gag. I’m wondering if you’ll recognise his voice, and his Instagram has a lot of videos where he’s speaking. I know it might be a long shot, that I could be putting two and two together and making thirty fucking eight, but it just struck something within me. If he felt bad about you enough to show reluctance, and pull the gag out of your mouth when he thought you were choking, those actions kinda fit with someone who would end up killing himself over that, as well as the rest of his misdeeds.”

Lily closed her eyes, taking a deep breath, nodding as she squeezed his hand. “Okay.” Angel found a video, turning the volume up and pressing play. As soon as she heard his voice, she was on her back in the alleyway again.  

“Hey dude, I think she’s choking.”

Heaving, she launched herself from her seat, running around the counter and into the restroom, throwing up for the second time that morning. She took deep breaths to steady herself, the flashback coupled with the pull from a few of her internal stitches yet to dissolve sending her right back to the moment, the fear. She had no idea how to feel in the light of knowing that one of her attackers had killed himself; she was still too overcome by processing his misdeed, rather than the actions he’d taken in the wake of it.  

Standing, she jumped slightly when she felt Angel’s hand press against her back, calming when she realised that it was of course just him, turning to have him pass her a cup of water from the cooler. “And now I’m closer to finding the remaining two. I’m taking it to Bish as soon as he gets in. We got shit with the Sons to sort today, but once that’s over with, I’m digging into finding these guys.”

She rinsed and spat out half of the water, drinking the other half, taking deep breaths as her heart hammered rapidly, beginning to tremble as Angel pulled her close. “He’s part of the 3OD’s, I dunno if you’ve ever heard of ‘em, little gang kids, small time guys.”

“No, but then again I’m not particularly well versed on that kind of thing.” Taking a breath, she kissed his cheek, walking back out to the office and raiding her bag for a piece of gum. “Are they dangerous?”

“About as much as your average bangers are, yeah, but they don’t have any real clout. If we put enough pressure on ‘em to give up the guy with the gold grills then I’m guessing they will. We can make their life a lot harder for them then they can ours.” He sat back down beside her, hand gently kneading the back of her neck, lost in her silky hair. “There’s something very pressing here though it all, though, and that’s the fact that the piece of shit coward who hung himself said they’d been paid, to do what they did.”

Lily looked blank, shaking her head, her eyes swimming with tears. “Who the hell could hate me that much that they pay three guys to do what they did to me? I don’t know, I don’t have any enemies, at least none that I know of.”

Angel looked thoughtful for a few moments, pressing his thumb against his lip. “What about that girl, the nemesis, Gabriella Martinez? I mean, you beat her down pretty savagely.”

“No, baby. We’re athletes. We settle our scores in competition, not in nefarious sabotage.”

He snorted softly. “Try telling that to Tonya Harding.” She frowned, not immediately familiar with the name. “Figure skating chick from the nineties who had her rival smacked in the knee with a metal baton to take her out of the competition.” He then beamed. “As if there’s something out there that I get to be the one to inform you about! It’s always the other way around! I feel all smart and shit.”

She smiled, stroking his face. “You are smart, honey.”

He grunted. “Not as much as you!” It was a little break of humour that she sorely needed, the weight of the fact that someone had wanted this done to her bearing upon her shoulders only adding to her emotional load, Lily spitting her gum into the waste paper basket and picking up her coffee. “Listen, it don’t matter if you can’t think of who it might be coming from, because I’m gonna find them, I fucking swear to you, I will, alright?”

She nodded softly, tucking her hair behind her ear. “I know, you will.”  

“Good. I love you, querida mia.”  

She nuzzled him, nails stroking the shaven sides of his hair. “I love you, too.” He left her to her work, checking in with her every so often until he headed out, Coco and EZ remaining behind. She was getting more used to Angel not being there, not falling into a pit of panic and despair now without him, but the thought of being alone anywhere for long periods of time still made her feel like her world was caving in on her.  

Whenever people entered the office, she felt sick with nerves, but she knew the more she faced people, the better it would eventually become. She kept the words she’d read courtesy of fellow rape victim Chelsea Masterton in mind. Just as easily as someone could be a rapist, there stood every chance that they likely weren’t. Still, it didn’t completely quell her worry.  

“Okay, so for that amount of steel, we’re talking three hundred,” Lily spoke to the man on the other side of the counter, swallowing hard when he didn’t reply at once, merely kept chewing on his toothpick.  

“You’re a real treat for the eyes, know that, sugar?”  

She lifted her chin, shoving her hands in the back pockets of her jeans. “Not interested. So, are you happy with three hundred?”

“I’d be happier with your phone number in my pocket,” he grinned lasciviously, licking his lip. She shuddered even more, not just because he was utterly repellent, but because she was alone with him, and he wasn’t taking no for an answer.  

“I told you no.” Her reply was firm, but her voice still shook.  

“Aww, ain’t you cute, getting all coy with me.” As if summoned by her feelings of dread, she breathed a huge sigh of relief when EZ entered the office.

“Hey, is this you holding things up on the weighbridge, bro? We got a load waiting to come in and you’re holding up the line,” he called, Lily attracting his attention with a wide-eyed glance. EZ was at her side in a heartbeat. “We got a problem here?”  

“No, no problem,” the guy spoke, backing off after taking the wedge of cash that had been sitting atop the counter.  

“He’s trying to get my phone number and not listening when I told him no,” Lily spoke, trying to remain calm. EZ locked eyes on him.  

“You got five seconds to move, or believe me, I’ll move you.” He had the sense to leave the office at a run, Lily letting out the breath she’d been holding as she sank into EZ’s embrace. “You okay, Lilypad?”

“Old Lily would have just bantered with him, or given him a mouthful. Or, to be honest, removed him for herself. Why can’t I still be that person? It was just one guy!” she cried, growling with frustration, beginning to calm down a little. “I hate that I’m so terrified of every single man I don’t know, I really do! It isn’t rational!”

“That’s because what happened to you wasn’t rational, babe. It’s only been five weeks, too,” he began, steering her into a seat. “You quite rightly see any guy you don’t know as a threat, but not everyone is. Some are just creepy assed incels, like that guy, thinking he honestly had a shot with you.” She saw he had a point. It reflected what she was trying to constantly remind herself in an effort to retain a modicum of normalcy, of her old life.  

He looked thoughtful during her moments of silence, cocking his head slightly. “How are your ribs now? I ask because I take it that was the main – well, apart from the obvious I don’t want to mention – injury that prevented you from returning to training?”  

“Better, I can breathe now and lie on my right side easily enough. I should probably get Maggie to check them over, though, just to be sure. Am I right in thinking that you’re pondering whether a return to training might help me?”

He smiled, nodding. “Exactly that.”

She shifted a little uncomfortably, grimacing slightly. “I have considered it. Angel took me down to visit Larry last week, and he said the same as all your guys, take it one day at a time and only come back when I feel ready.” She paused there, looking uncomfortable.  

EZ made a gesture with his hand that she should continue. “I sense there’s a but.”

“But,” she confirmed. “I’m scared of being hit. I don’t know how triggering seeing a fist coming at me will be, and Larry doesn’t know the whole truth, so I don’t want to have to explain the kind of meltdown it might bring about.”  

“How about if your target didn’t hit back? Take to the punchbag instead?”  

“Hmmm,” she pondered. “I mean, I would, but Larry will want me back against an actual person. He said so himself, that sparring was most definitely what I needed to get my confidence back. Of course, he means well, but he’s only going on the information he knows.”  

“Well, I have a punchbag, and you have focus mitts, right? I don’t mind training with you, and you know I’m not going to punch you back. I’d like to help if I could, if you felt like it could help?”

She leaned forward, hugging him, laying a kiss to his cheek. “No wonder Jodie loves you to death. I mean, I knew before you guys got together that you’re great, but yeah, you know what I mean.”  

He looked a little coy in the wake of this, shaking his head dismissively. “Eh, it’s the least I can do. If it makes you feel better, then it can only be a good thing.” He squeezed her shoulder, getting up and leaving her to it, pausing at the office door for a moment. “They can’t see it in you, you know. Other guys. You know what happened to you, but they don’t.”

His words hit her on a level she wasn’t expecting, Lily feeling a little lighter within for hearing them. She felt so exposed and transparent from her attack that it was something she thought showed up, like she might as well have been wearing a t shirt with the slogan ‘rape victim’ emblazoned across the front. It was something she planned to speak to Angel about when he finally arrived home later that evening, except when he first arrived, his frustration over his pursuits over the course of the night were very clear.  

“Hey, baby.” His call from the door was deflated, the sound of his keys landing on the table loud, a long sigh following before he greeted Charlie, entering the kitchen to find her at the cooker, stirring tortellini soup. The smell had welcomed him from the door and made him feel marginally better, as Lily’s food always did. In the kitchen, she knocked it out of the ball park every time.  

“You don’t sound happy.” Turning away from the stove, she wrapped her arms around his waist, her face questioning.  

His frown deepened, resting his forehead to hers and kissing the tip of her nose. “I’m not. I wanted to come back here and tell you that I’d found them, but those fucking 3OD boys are so scattered, we can’t even find a ring leader. They’re not organised, have no kind of regular patterns in where they hang out, they’re just scattered. I feel fucking useless.”

She turned the hob down before giving him her full focus. “You’re not, though. You’re the absolute best, the way you’ve put your life on hold to care for me, put me first. When you told me a few months ago that you knew you’d have to wait on me trusting you fully again, well, if I hadn’t before, this definitely proves it. I can’t thank you enough for being so supportive.”  

“It isn’t enough, though. Not with them still out there, and the person who paid them to do this. I know that them still being out there is what haunts you, and it needs to be dealt with.”  

She rested against his chest, arm curling around him, slipping beneath his blue plaid shirt to stroke his back. “I won’t lie, knowing they’re no longer out there and free to do this to someone else would put my mind at rest, but I can’t pin my healing solely on them being dealt with accordingly. I have to find that courage within myself to get over what happened to me first and foremost.”

That was a huge step for her, Angel quick to praise such a mindset. “I’m so proud, to hear you say that. I know it’s only been five weeks, and you’re still shaky, but carina, you’ve come so far with everything you’ve done to begin getting over what happened to you.”

She kissed his chest, smiling. “Thank you.” They spent a few silent moments wrapped in one another’s embrace, a sudden growling noise interrupting the moment. “Is that your stomach?”

He laughed softly through his nose. “Yep. I’m fucking starving!”  

She laughed softly, rubbing his abs. “Go sit down, pick a movie out and it’ll be ready in about ten minutes.” They had a nice evening of relative normalcy and relaxation, Lily feeling happy that such moments were growing more in their frequency, being able to do such simple things that yielded simple pleasures, enjoying nice food now she’d regained an appetite, and watching their favourite horror movie, Silent Hill. She also told him about the man who had not been keen to take no for an answer earlier in the day, which had subsequently led to EZ’s offer to get her back into training, Angel smiling, touched that his brother had wanted to help. It was a good moment to acknowledge his own personal growth as well, for he felt nothing but contentment at the idea.  

One set of issues they faced as a couple had been sadly been exchanged for another, though, and after turning in for the night, it was there that what loomed over Lily caught up with her.  

Awaking with a gasp, she sat bolt upright, sweat streaming from her face. Again, the same dream. Not of the rape, but something that she’d begun to see time and time again in her sleep, something that stirred everything that had happened to her once more, without it being the actual event playing itself out in a nightmare. It was relieving that they’d somewhat overtaken the dreams where she relived what happened, even though both dreams lamentably led her to the same reaction.

“Wolf again?” Angel asked, stroking her back as he sat up at her side, soothing her while she gathered herself, taking deep breaths.  

She nodded. In the dream, she walked the desert alone until coming across an injured wolf, lying there on the ground, bleeding heavily. She always tried to help it, but each and every time, it growled and bared its teeth, not allowing her to come near and assist. She interpreted it as what had happened to her, that part within which still bled out, that she couldn’t soothe or make better, that perhaps would always lie there bleeding within her.  

Although she was making tentative progress, she did wonder if it would always be something she couldn’t truly reconcile. She felt nothing over the fact one of them had hung himself, absolutely no emotion at all. As she laid back, resting her head on Angel’s chest, she wondered whether that was because she’d had it taken from her, to see some kind of retribution befall him. Would knowing that the others had received a punishment for their misdeeds serve to make her feel a sense of relief from it?  

She was unsure.

It was, however, something she found herself discussing the following evening, though, Angel, EZ and Bishop out trying to gain more intel on the 3OD’s, just her and Taza sitting outside the clubhouse, watching the sun slowly setting in the pink sky.

“I’m tired, Taza. Really tired of not feeling like me. Like I told Angel this morning, even if I sleep, the memory of what happened weighs on me, makes me exhausted, just carrying it around with me,” she confided, hoping to tap her wonderful friend for some of the wisdom he quite effortlessly always managed to offer forth.  

“Trauma is heavy, darling. Think of it as a large suitcase in which you’re forced to lug around with you. As you become stronger again, the easier it’ll become to carry. You might even be able to unpack it along the way, so there’s less to eventually carry,” he spoke, Lily liking how he explained it. It seemed to resound with her very much, the heavy load that would eventually become more manageable, the stronger she became. “You mention sleep there, and the last time we spoke about it, you were only averaging a few hours a night, because of nightmares. How is that for you now?”

She took a deep breath through her nose, sipping her drink. “The nightmares still happen, less so recently, though. More and more of late, I keep dreaming the same dream, of a wolf lying alone in the middle of the desert, broken and bleeding. I crouch by it and try to give it assistance, with all its bloodied wounds, but it snarls and cries, lunges at me; it won’t let me come near it. And then I wake with a start. I suppose the wolf represents what happened to me. It’s my pain that I don’t know how to make better.”

Taza was quiet for a few moments, leaning forward slowly, resting his chin atop her head as he watched the sun melting into the horizon, his hands softly grasping her upper arms. “The wolf isn’t what happened to you, Lilypad. The wolf in your dreams is you.”  

It flashed through her mind, then, as her eyes found the gate she’d dragged herself through, remembering screaming at Coco, scratching at him as he’d tried to help her, Taza lying upon the ground, making himself small so as not to scare her even further, how by doing that, he’d finally been able to reach through her trauma and bring her back, when she’d been terrified out of her mind.  “In your mind, you’re still on that floor, where I found you, broken and bleeding, too scared to let anyone come near you. The small steps you’ve taken have seen you do well, they have, and I would never try to rush you, but I would like to propose something.”

“What?” she asked, grasping his arm, hugging it to her chest.

“That when they’re found, before Angel hands them the ending they have coming, that you go and rain down utter, unfiltered hellfire upon them. For each day that passes where you don’t try to heal and get back up off the ground in your mind, they win. They hold that power over you. Perhaps in venting your emotions, all of your hurt, fear and pain, you take some of that power back from them. You wonder how you can move on, perhaps the answer is you taking an active part in their punishment.”

His statement was simple, yet so profound, Lily nodding. He was right; she needed to remember who she was, and then show them, too. She wouldn’t be able to solidly say that such would help her heal emotionally from it, not until it was done, but trying, trying to reclaim what they’d taken from her, it was worth it. 

It was finding them that was the current obstacle.  

[cocobirde]

coco tweets.... get it.... get my tag... becuz tweets.... cocobirdie.... das me.... bird....

[everyhowlmarksthedead]

no kisses needed.

© @sonsofeorl

JOHNNY ‘COCO’ CRUZ.

MAYANS MC ┃ USEFUL LINKS

❝ request by @blowmymbackout: reader has a co-worker who just won't take the hint that reader isn't interested and has a bf she tells Coco he picks her up from work confronts the man. Coco is a lil jealous. Co-worker facetimes reader while coco has her in this position (sorry if that didn't make any sense)

❝ words: about 1.2k.

❝ warnings: nsfw, unprotected sex, language, voyeurism (????), coco being a little possessive, mention of bodily fluids.

❝ a / n: as always, don’t forget to comment and reblog if you liked it!

You weren't expecting Coco to pick you up from work today, but you guess he has just done it to see who's the fucker trying to flirt with his girl. The guy is uglier than the back of a fridge, and he feels some comfort in it. But not enough to calm down his jealousy. He —better than anybody— knows that you don't care about a pretty face, you care about a beautiful heart, tho. His insecurities come afloat on your way back home, worrying you because he's more silent than ever, not even getting a response when you whisper in his ear how much you have missed him today after waking up alone.

Coming into your house with his face down, Coco leaves his kutte and both helmets on the coffee table, a second before falling onto your sofa. A leg over it, the other flexed to the floor. Your boyfriend looks at you, thoughtful and very concentrated on the way you have to remove your jacket and walk towards his position. You know exactly what's on his mind and that touches your soul. His demons eat him alive with no mercy. Kneeling a leg between his —placing your phone close to his black helmet—, you lean down with both hands on his chest for balance, landing your lips onto his left ear.

“Can you do something for me?” You hum with such a sweet tone, caressing his cheek with the tip of your nose. And you hear him swallowing slowly. “Fuck me, Coco. I need you so fuckin' much… You can't imagine… Can you do that for me, ah? Can you fuck me so hard I forgot my name but not who I belong to?”

He utters a feral snarl, noticing then that your right hand has made its way to his dick. You grip it over the rough fabric, swinging it with a tortuous pace, fixing your eyes on his. Coco is about to kiss you when you push him down using your left hand.

“I don't want your kisses now”. You whisper accommodating yourself over the delicious rock under his clothes. “I want your dick. I want you to fuck me till I have to beg you to stop”.

How does he manage to roll you down his body? You don't know. But the fact is that, in less than a second, you're lying on your stomach and your boyfriend is removing your sneakers and your jeans. He can't help but lick his lips keenly as he glances at the small spot darkening your panties, the evidence of how wet you are because of him.

“Fuck, ma'...”

Coco rips off the piece of clothing causing you to gasp, while you take off the shirt covering your torso, only leaving the blue bra you're wearing beneath it. He undoes it to throw it to the floor too, sliding an arm under your stomach to make you raise your ass. With his free hand, your boyfriend pulls down his jeans and boxers enough to let his hard cock spring free. He doesn't prepare you. Coco guides his glans to your folds to slam his thick length into your soaked cunt. You moan loud and clear his full name, as he settles his body between your spread legs.

Digging his fingers in your hips, aware that he probably will leave some marks there, he doesn't show any mercy. He hits your guts and your soul once and once with an insane pace that causes you to roll your eyes, nailing your hands on the armrest to find some equilibrium and receive every pound straight to your g-spot without falling over it. Coco is fucking you as hard as you have asked him, blanking your mind and making a mess of your vocals.

And he doesn't stop when your phone starts to ring. The name of your co-worker appearing on the screen. Your boyfriend has the brilliant idea of pulling your hair back by tangling his digits there, bringing his lips to your ear. His other hand grabs your device to put it at the height of your faces, sliding his thumb to answer the video call.

The first thing your partner can see is the pleasure gesture on yours, moaning and screaming Coco's name, not having noticed yet what he is doing until you hear your co-worker calling you.

“Tell him how good I fuck you, ma'”. Your boyfriend demands with such a throaty growl, thrusting his thick and hard length into you, impaling your body against the sofa.

“Shit…” You almost cry. “He fucks me so damn good”.

“That's it… Tell him… Tell him who you belong to”.

You know that he's enjoying it, but you can't answer when your partner hangs up the call. Coco can't help but laugh, tosing your phone to the table, to occupy his hand in a better place. Wrapping it around your throat, your boyfriend forces you to kneel on the cushions, sticking his chest to your back.

“Bet he won't forget”. He grunts into your ear, tilting your head to tuck his tongue within your mouth.

He drinks your pleas, your begs, your gaps, placing your fingers around his wrists, aware that you're not going to last much more because of what has just happened. And he feels it. He feels how your whole anatomy gets tensed with every push to your guts, creating an erotic melody of flesh against flesh. Pulling you down again and gripping your hips, Coco increases the pace of his lungs, giving you more pleasure than you can bear with, still enraged because of that shithead thinking he could have some kind of opportunity with you. You are his. Like your heart, your soul, your thoughts.

“Ah, fuck, baby”. You paint roaring, biting your lips until the metallic taste of blood floods your mouth.

The tickles in your lower belly grow by leaps and bounds, making your heart stop for a brief instant before the orgasm blows out all your senses and the electrical lash roams your back. It takes Coco only two slams more into your soaked pussy to cum inside you, filling you as much as he can press his body against yours. He doesn't feel jealous, nor angry anymore. He simply is too tired after that rough quickly, marking your skin wherever his teeth have reached it.

Loosening his grip bit by bit to pull his wet dick out from you, your boyfriend holds your phone again to take a picture of his warm seed spilling out from your abused lips. A piece of art under his dark eyes. Lying on your back and placing a smooth kiss on top of your head, he shows you the little mess he has done with a proud smile crossing his exhausted mouth.

“Was tha' what you wanted?”

“Uh-huh”. You whisper resting your cheek over your forearms, turning slightly at him. “Did you have fun, Coquito?”

“I always have fun ruining your sweet tight pussy, ma'. I don' even mind if that cabrón wanna come and look the next time”.

GENERAL TAG LIST: @mayans-sauce @peoniarose @destynelseclipsa @band-psycho @myakai13 @petlaufeyson @-im-fantastic- @horsesandwolvesaremyanimals @rocketqueen @rosieposie0624 @ellyseveronica @Jessprins13 @diaryofkali @ravenmoore14 @starrynite7114 @kenbechillin @miahelen @monkeyluver4546 @sheeshgivemeabreak @jadesamhart @rawrlittlepanda-95 @megapeacelovemusic-blog @katsav17 @skits90s @wildsould1221 @littlekittymeow @tenderclio @badame1240 @regalbanshee

MAYANS MC: @multiyfandomgirl40 @countryash345 @skyofficialxx @lovebennycolonmiguelgalindo @bellisperennis0 @chibsytelford @trulysuccubus @purrrrfect @witching-hour @leathercladmenfics @behindmyeyes-insidemyhead @queenbeered @sesamepancakes @gemini0410 @pinguinstudiert @oscars-wifeyyy @meteora-fc @lozaa94 @arveeee @joupym @hanster1998 @missswritings @arana-alpha @lucillewinchester @theocatkov @telfordlowmans

[barbylion]

tagged by @everlasting-beg to list the last 6 albums i had on repeat recently 💕

i typically don't listen to albums on repeat, or full albums at all after the first run-through to find what songs i like 😆 so this'll be a little different in that i'm just sharing the albums that some of my repeats belong to lol 😙😙

Depressed by Coco Jones - the most song of all time. it's funny, it's a little too real, it slaps, etc. It's Coco! like, hello?? stan immediately if you don't already

Razzmatazz by IDKHOW - the whole album is just art. nothing less from the man that gave us all the Brobecks discog and the only Panic songs that were good after Ryan left

Indian Summer by Shuba - it's addictive and I just love Shuba, always on repeat at least five times when it comes up

Nice 2 Meet U by Mighty Mouth - the other most song of all time. it gives me a ton of serotonin, and so does the mv. i love it

Love All Serve All by Fujii Kaze - he never misses!! another big serotonin one, the whole album I'd say.

멈추지말아요 (Please Don't Stop) by Yoyomi - like a drug for me idk idk, this song is another that just ends up on repeat a ton once it comes on the shuffle. Yoyomi pls give us another song like this; i love trot but I need more of this!!

honorable mentions: albums I do listen to in full, but haven't done so recently. there's more but these were the first to come to mind:

Yeoja by Verbal Jint and Sanchez | Hazardous Materials by Stella Jang | Fever's End pt. 1 by Tablo | Put a Shield on Your Heart by happy sad face

I am honestly too lazy to tag people 😂😂 So, all my mutuals that get just as insane about music as I do: go for it!

[elizabeethan]

Safe 1 / 1

Killian finds a safe in Emma's closet and nearly loses his mind trying to figure out what she's hiding.

I'm not saying this is the start of another fic in this universe, but I'm also not not saying that.

This picks up a few weeks after the ending of The Days We Defend (Will Turn to Gold)

Read on Ao3

Rated T I guess

1441 words

For @the-darkdragonfly, who likes to beg me for more Corrine

~~~~

It started out as nothing. It should still be nothing, really, but he’s let that ship sail long ago. The curiosity got the better of him, and he’s been losing his mind ever since. 

 It’s easy to expect the worst. He and Emma have discussed the unpredictability of her magic, what with her pregnancy and recent curse and subsequent traumatic events, and he thought that they were on the same page with her taking it easy. She’s only a few months along, just starting to show, and she’s been totally on board with his suggestion that using magic she can’t fully understand, with few resources to help her, could be dangerous. 

 But then he found the damn safe. 

 He had no idea she owned it, but he probably shouldn’t be surprised. Based on who she was before he knew her, he can’t be shocked at the knowledge that she has secrets. But still, he’s worried. He’s worried at the thought of her needing to keep things from him. He's worried at the idea that she may not feel she can trust him with every aspect of her life. He's worried that she’s keeping something magical and dangerous locked away in their closet and not telling him about it. 

 This is what he gets for doing the laundry, he supposes. It’s a cursed task, to be sure. 

He didn’t mean to at first. He didn’t intend to try and break it open. But when he found himself punching in 1-2-3-4 and then 1-0-2-3 and then 0-8-1-6 and then 0-6-2-4, he realized how insane he was acting. Trying to hack into her safe using her family’s dates of birth was insane. Trying to violate his fiance’s trust by hacking into her locked safe was completely insane. Not to mention, diabolical. 

 But then he found himself going even more insane, trying to pry the heavy metal door open with his hook when the combinations he guessed failed. The safe was small enough, mounted into the wall and hidden behind a myriad of dresses hanging from the bar in the closet. There’s nothing to even say that there's even anything inside. But for some reason, he can’t help but to picture the worst. He pictures a magic dagger powerful enough to destroy everything they hold dear. He pictures a magic bean that could rip their family apart. He pictures the hat that holds the ominous power of the Dark One. 

 He wonders why he can’t trust his fiance. 

 He should’ve heard the front door open and slam shut. He should’ve heard his toddler tromping up the stairs and running to his room to greet him. 

 “Daddy, what doing there?” she asks pensively, leaning against the doorframe exactly as she’s watched her father do. 

 “Well, hello, my love. I’m just finishing up. How was Mimi?” 

 “What doing?” she asks again, crossing her tiny arms over her chest. “Landy?” 

 He clears his throat and stands, feeling a burn in his knees as he realizes how long he’s been sitting here trying to violate his love’s trust. “Yes, angel, I’m just doing some laundry.” 

 “Mommy!” she screams, turning towards the door that leads out to the hallway as he hears Emma’s footsteps approaching. “Daddy does landy.” 

 “Does he?” Emma asks, smiling and cocking her head to the right as she takes in the sight before her: Killian standing and groaning as he brushes off the backs of his legs. “Isn’t that nice of him.” 

 He recognizes the suspicious smile on her face immediately as she bites her bottom lip and raises a brow at him. “Yes,” Corrine confirms, ratting out her father just like the pirate he knew she would become. “See?” 

 “Yes,” Emma responds, smiling down at their daughter. “I do see. I see your daddy fiddling with things that don’t belong to him.” 

 “Ah, well,” he laughs nervously, scratching behind his ear and clearing his throat. “It certainly is lovely to see you both.” 

 “I’m sure it is,” she rolls her eyes in response, stepping towards him and placing a chaste kiss to his cheek just beside his mouth. “0-9-1-8.”

 “Pardon?” he asks in confusion. 

 “The combination,” she clarifies. “0-9-1-8. September 18th; the day you found me in New York.” 

 “Swan,” he starts, his guilt manifesting into something out of his control. “I meant not to…” 

 She giggles at him as she moves into the closet, Corrine mimicking the sound, and punches in the code. The door opens easily and he rolls his eyes as he recalls the effort he had put forth in opening it, thinking himself a fool for even trying. When the door swings open and reveals it’s contents, he wants to bury his head in the sand to quell the embarrassment that plagues him. 

It’s filled with snacks. Bags and bags of chips, poptarts, candies… all of the things she craves and he refuses to let her eat in excess. 

 “You won’t let me keep them in the pantry, so I hide them up here,” she explains. “I’m sorry for being dishonest.” 

 Bloody hell. If there’s one thing that can make him feel even worse about his foolishness, it’s her apologizing to him. “Love, I should--” 

 “I want that one!” Corrine shouts, pointing at the small pastry wrapped in clear plastic. “Mommy, I can have it?” 

 “Now look what you’ve done,” she jokes, playfully rolling her eyes at Killian. “Come on, Coco. Let’s have an apple with this Honey Bun.” 

 ~~~~

 Later in the evening, when they’re sated and panting and she curls into his side to squeeze him tight, his guilt takes over again as the thoughts of what he expected to find in her secret hiding place plague his mind. He’s always quick to ask her to trust him, and he feels as though he’s failed her for not doing so in return. Why he couldn’t let it go-- why he couldn’t tell himself that she wouldn’t dabble in dangerous magic and hide it from him-- he isn’t sure. 

 “What’s going on in there?” she asks when her breathing steadies, lifting her arm from his torso and brushing her fingers along his temple. 

 He smiles down at her and says, “nothing, love. I apologize if I seem distracted.” 

 “Is this about earlier?” she asks thoughtfully, cupping his neck with her palm and stroking her thumb along the line of his jaw. “The safe? Are you mad because I kept it from you?” 

 “No, Swan, never. I only… well, I suppose I should apologize for that. I shouldn’t have attempted to violate your privacy like I did.” 

 She sighs and hugs him close again, pressing a soft kiss to his chest, and whispers, “why did you?”

 Remaining still and silent, he allows the darkness of the room to trick him into a false sense of security. He knows why he did it; he knows it’s because he’s been waiting for the other shoe to drop for months since they broke the last curse. The last curse, because they’ve been cursed countless times before. And with a new baby on the way… he isn’t sure how to care for a newborn with one hand, never mind with some new form of dark magic potentially threatening them. “I’m sorry,” he finally whispers. “I suppose I’m just…” 

 “Waiting for something bad to happen?” 

 “Aye,” he breathes in relief, because of course she would know exactly how he’s feeling and what he’s thinking. “We’ve certainly had our fair share of challenges.” 

 “The dagger is right where we left it,” she promises. “It’s safe, locked away in the basement where it can’t escape. Me and The Apprentice put a spell on it, remember? I promise, nothing is going to happen to us.” Her words are forceful and confident, but her tone is anything but. 

 “Aye, love, you’re right. I’m sorry for doubting you.” 

 “Good. Now, it’s time to move on from this, because only one of us is allowed to freak out at a time and if you're scared, I’m definitely going to get scared soon.” 

 Kissing her temple, he holds her tighter and focuses on the sounds of their breathing filling the silent room. “You don’t have to be scared,” he finally tells her. “Everything is going to be alright. I’m sorry I had a momentary bout of insanity earlier.” 

 “It’s okay,” she whispers. “I love you.” 

 “I love you, too,” he promises, trying his hardest to put aside his assumptions that something catastrophic is about to happen and instead enjoy being here by her side. As if reminding himself as much as her, he says, “we’re alright, love,” before they both drift off to sleep.

~~~~

If you want to be tagged, or if you don’t, let me know!

Tagging:

@courtorderedcake @kmomof4 @stahlop @klynn-stormz @laschatzi @emelizabeth88 @lfh1226-linda @kday426 @elisethewritingbeast @timeless-love-story @captain-emmajones @gingerpolyglot @ebcaver @ilovemesomekillianjones @teamhook @superchocovian @itsfabianadocarmo @tiganasummertree @gingerchangeling @jrob64 @onceratheart18 @xhookswenchx @winterbaby89 @swampmedusa @ultraluckycatnd @dancingnancyy @love-with-you-i-have-everything @shireness-says @snowbellewells @hollyethecurious @ouatpost @daxx04 @the-darkdragonfly @donteattheappleshook @therooksshiningknight @eeteeaytay @xsajx @itsfridaysomewhere @alexa-fangirl-forever @jonesfandomfanatic @wefoundloveunderthelight @qualitycoffeethings @rapunzelsghosts @spaceconveyor @badcats-andmice @batana54

[popsunner]

Hey I just saw a post of yours floating around on pinterest about your mom getting you to chop wood and your sister to knead bread to cope with mental illness and neurodivergency and the tags were cut off. Long story short if you have any more stories about how you might be a changeling or the amulet/charm thing your brother wears I would LOVE to hear them because your family sounds absolutely wild and I love it

Djfjfkfn okay so

My little brother we’re pretty sure is autistic, but we live in a trashy state for that sort of thing and he’s what would be considered “high functioning” (ew) so it’s even harder to get him diagnosed

When he was a baby he got into my grandmas charm stuff (she’s pagan) and found a little protection charm, and it’s sort of become his stim object. When he stims he flips his wrist around so it jingles, when he’s frustrated he chews on it, when he’s happy he pulls it off and stretches it

My grandma let him keep it because of the whole my state is trashy thing, and she said he’d need the protection from closed minded people and all that

But my grandpa is sure it’s protecting him from the ghosts in our house lmao (different grandpa than the mugger, he doesn’t like ghosts)

My little sister talks in her sleep, and sometimes it turns into shouting.

We all learned a long time ago that stopping her just gives her night terrors for the rest of the night, so we just let her yell

(Kinda wacky for friends sleeping over for the first time, we have a list of warnings we give people before they visit us)

I myself don’t necessarily believe in ghosts, I think it’s entertaining to blame the cups falling off counters and doors falling off hinges on pesky paranormal roommates, but I also think we have an old house and they could be explained away

It drives my older sister insane

My older sister is a witch, and she has depression, which means a cluttered room filled with wood and half burned incense and the like

Once a month my mom goes in with my sister and we all hear a lot of heavy metal (my mom doesn’t really like heavy metal) and then two hours later her room is clean and my mom usually has a henna

When one of us is at school and feels like we can’t be there, we can call my mom and she always comes and gets us

We help her can fruits at home in the spring and summer, we make hot coco and wassel in the winter and fall

I work a lot, and sometimes when I come home I just really want to see my family, so it doesn’t matter what time it is, my mom wakes everyone up and we go cuddle in my parents bed and watch Mr. Bean

I get really bad anxiety, and I have a thing where when I’m trying to calm myself down I open and shut my door over and over again (I literally do not know why. It just happens)

The family knows that means give me some space, and whenever I stop my mom is immediately there to give me some tea and watch whatever show I’m hyperfixed on

(Her favorite is Merlin, she thinks it’s hilarious)

My mom is fluent in Latin, and I’ve only seen her angry angry two times, once when my uncle criticized her parenting, and once when the neighbors egged our house because we have a pride flag hanging out the window

(She’s never raised her voice at me or my siblings when she’s angry. She yells when she’s calling for us or because we’re a loud family and we tease each other, but never when she’s angry)

Anyway, those two times my mom proceeded to rant and swear at my uncle/the neighbors in Latin until they apologized

She also sings in Latin when she’s cooking

When we have family dinners we have them outside, and they usually end with me in a tree to get away from the chickens (they’re evil), my brothers pulling up grass and burying my dog under it, and my parents sleeping on the blanket while my sisters draw nature

All in all, we’re basically as stereotypical cotagecore as you can get in a suburban neighborhood

[mayans-sauce]

Interstellar: Chapter 2

Gif Credit: @pocmedia

Pairing: Astronaut! EZ Reyes x Astra Beckett

Word Count: 1.3K

Warnings: cursing but other than that none.

Summary: Ezekiel and Astra graduate from the academy.

Let me know if you want to be tagged/removed from this story.

GROUP CHAT for updates!

Chapter 1

Chapter 3

⭐️Interstellar Masterlist⭐️

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The Year 2057

Finally, after five long years at the academy, Ezekiel and Astra have made it. They were one of the lucky six that were chosen for space travel. The hard work, sweat, tears, joy, and laughter they both had these years were so exhausting but also so rewarding, and it was all worth it in the end because they achieved their dream. They did it together. There were many times that they both wanted to give up; the pressure became too much for them, but like the promise they made when they were young, they pulled one another through it. They had each other, and that's how they managed to get it done.

Astra found herself sitting in the same spot she did five years ago when they started in the academy. She couldn't sleep, her mind clouded with thoughts about the next step in this journey. Tomorrow was graduation for the astronauts, and in a week, they would be on their way up to the space station. Her face was emotionless as she stared at one spot on the floor, that was until she heard some familiar footsteps coming towards her, and she felt herself perk up. She turned her head towards the sound, getting a good look at all of him as he walked towards her. He had changed so much in the last five years. He wasn’t the skinny or shy EZ anymore. Ez had become more confident, and his body now looked like a fucking mountain.

Astra discretely licked her bottom lip at him. Feeling something deep in her stomach at how his biceps almost ripped through his sleeves; and she could see the lines of his six-pack through his tight t-shirt. Yeah, she had slowly started to see EZ as more than a friend throughout the years, and she could sense that he felt something too, but they never did anything about it. So, for now, Astra would just continue to dream on.

“We meet again,” he said as he took a seat next to her. “As we always do.” They would often meet like this when they couldn’t sleep and would keep each other company. “Nervous for tomorrow?” She nodded her head, legs bouncing, and the nail-biting started, a habit she's always had. “Hey, stop that,” EZ exclaimed, taking his hand in her and softly caressing her knuckles.

Astra froze up for a second. EZ and she had always been affectionate with each other, and it was all friendly and that, but his touches over the years felt more intimate, something more than just friendship. She stopped her thoughts before they could go any; further, she did want to ruin the friendship they had; she wasn’t even 100% sure that he felt something as well, so she let it be.

“Sorry, you know it calms me down.” “I know, but that’s what you have me for.” “I’m so blessed that I have you, Zeke, I truly am,” Astra expressed to him, taking her other hand to lay on top of his and leaning her head on his shoulder.

They stayed for a while more. Reminiscing the last five years at the academy.

The next day

“Welcome, family and friends, we meet again after so many years,” Damien received a well-round of applause from the crowd. “It is our honor to graduate our new talented and well-educated astronauts.” On the stage, Astra stood with EZ by her side, Mia and Mateo had made it as well in the top six. The four of them had made a bond for life in this academy, and they were so grateful that they all made it. The other two were Predrag and Selena, which kept more to themselves, but they were still all a great team regardless and good friends. Damien introduced them one at a time, their names and specialties.

“Ezekiel Reyes, 32 years old, our new space engineer and main pilot who will fly The Crest up to the Aurora space station. ” “Astra Beckett, 32 years old, our new astronomer and botanist. As well, she will be joining our great search for extraterrestrial life. She is also the co-pilot of our spaceship.”

After the introduction, the family came to congratulate them. Hugs and kisses were shared around and a few tears here and there. “I’m so proud of you, baby. I know your mother would be so proud as well.” He hugged his not so little girl anymore. Keeping her tight to him as in just a week he wouldn’t see her physically in 3 long years. Both families were so incredibly proud of Astra and EZ.

It was decided that there would be a grand celebration for them both at the one and only Mayans MC clubhouse. EZ’s brother Angel had joined The Mayans not so long after EZ got accepted into the academy. They had both got to know the MC quite well when they were visiting home, and they were taken right in with everyone.

Four days later

Astra and EZ had so far enjoyed the little free time at home they had before they would be on their way to the great unknown. Spending some much-needed time with each other and family while they had the opportunity.

Today was the party that had been prepared for their honor. Everyone they knew would gather at the Mayans MC clubhouse.

The party was like any Mayan party. Music, alcohol, and for them, they had ordered some good food to go along it. It was fun being surrounded by friends and family for a night, having normal conversations about everything and nothing. After five long years, EZ and Astra could feel the weight lift off their shoulders for a little bit, now that they had a chance to be normal for one night.

Towards the end of the night, people had started to get lost in the alcohol and music. That’s when EZ and Astra decided to head out for some quiet time. Where they would go, they didn’t know. Angel and Coco accompanied them, and both of the astronauts didn’t mind the extra company.

They got on their bikes and drove off away from the city. EZ had acquired a lot of skills throughout the years; driving a motorcycle was one of many. Astra held tightly onto EZ’s muscular torso as they rode, leaning her cheek on his clothed back.

They drove for a while, enjoying the breeze and dark night. After a while, they stopped at a little rest stop along the way; they hopped off the bikes, taking place at one of the picnic tables and looking up towards the starry night sky.

“Beer?” Angel offered to her. She reached out to take it from him, but EZ stopped her, “we shouldn’t.” “Relax, EZ! We are traveling in a few days. A beer or two wouldn't hurt.” EZ agreed and gladly accepted a beer from his brother as well.

“Imagine, in just three days; we will be up there, EZ,” Astra pointed up to the sky with her finger, her voice laced with both excitement and worry, worried about the whole journey. “Fucking crazy,” he answered her, the same excitement and concern in his voice. “Fucking insane,” Angel said, “space is fucking wild,” Coco added. There was a long silence between all of you. Angel was the first one to break it.

“It’s fucking crazy man, Ezekiel Reyes, my little brother, a spaceman,” Angel wrapped his arms around his not so little brother, giving him a good shake and a pat on the chest. Angel’s exclamation eased the tension a bit, making both EZ and Astra let out a deep breath that they had held in.

They stayed in the desert for the rest of the night. Enjoying each other’s company, beers, and the beautiful night sky.

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